1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of systems for retaining and displaying hand portable items such as tools. More specifically the present invention relates to an item retaining system including a number of individually separable and transportable item group retaining structures which each retain and display a group of one or more related items, and including a collective mounting structure which releasibly mounts the item group retaining structures collectively to an upright mounting surface so that the items are collectively displayed and individually accessible. The item group retaining structures retain items grouped by function or other common characteristic. The item group retaining structures preferably each take the form of an upright panel with a panel forward face having at least one item holding structure. The collective mounting structure preferably takes the form of mounting rails fastened upright to a mounting surface such as a wall of a building or panel of a vehicle, having rail engaging means releasibly engaging and supporting several group retaining structures. The system preferably includes a group retaining structure carrier with handle means for engaging and carrying up to two group retaining structures, and for positioning the group retaining structures upright for item display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been peg boards for displaying and making accessible hand portable items such as tools, and specially designated boxes for retaining grouped items such as tools and tackle for manual transport. Problems with these common arrangements have been that when items stored in a box are needed, the specific box in which they are located must be found, the box opened and the items sorted through until the desired item is discovered. Furthermore, when several items on a pegboard are needed for a certain task, these items must be removed from the pegboard individually and carried in some fashion to the location of the task, and later replaced in their designated places on the pegboard. And, while the individual items are separated from the pegboard, they are subject to loss.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a movable rack item storage system for home, garden and commercial applications in which items are retained in a collective display to be visible all at once, and in which the items are retained in several item retaining structures making up the collective display, each retaining structure retaining a group of the items defined by common characteristic, such as for performing related tasks, the item retaining structures being individually removable from the collective display for manual transport to an item use site.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a system in which group retaining structures removed from the collective display can be gripped and carried with ease such as by mounting them to a carrier.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a system in which group retaining structures removed from the collective display can be positioned in an upright orientation so that items on the group retaining structure can be seen all at once at a glance without opening anything.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a system which is inexpensive to manufacture, versatile, durable, easy to install and easy to use.
The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.
A retaining system for several items, including several separable group retaining structures, each group retaining structure having an item holding structure for transporting and displaying at least one item defining an item group for use in performing a specific task; and a collective mounting structure releasibly mounting the item group retaining structures collectively to a mounting surface.
A retaining system is further provided for several items, including several group retaining structures, each group retaining structure having an item holding structure for retaining a group of related items; a collective mounting structure including mounting rails having fasteners for fastening to a mounting surface and having rail engaging structures for releasibly engaging and supporting several of the group retaining structures so that items retained on the group retaining structures are collectively displayed and individually accessible; and a group retaining structure carrier having carrier engaging structures for releasibly engaging and supporting at least one group retaining structure, the group retaining structure carrier having a carrier handle permitting a user to grasp and carry the group retaining structure carrier and any attached group retaining structure.
The collective mounting rails preferably include elongate members with rail fastening structures for securing the mounting rails to a mounting surface; several key bolts, each key bolt having a key bolt shank and a key bolt head; threaded key bolt holes into which the key bolts are screwed so that the key bolt heads are spaced apart from the given the rail; where the mounting rails are arrayed on the mounting surface, spaced laterally apart from each other.
The mounting rails preferably also include end mounting rails, each end mounting rail including two opposing longitudinal end mounting rail ends and a key bolt hole at each longitudinal end mounting rail end fitted with a key bolt. The mounting rails preferably additionally include at least one center mounting rail for positioning between the end mounting rails, the at least one center mounting rail including two opposing longitudinal center mounting rail ends and including two laterally spaced apart key bolt holes at each longitudinal center mounting rail end fitted with key bolts; for mounting two group retaining structures side by side so that the group retaining structures extend in opposing directions from each center mounting rail.
Each item group retaining structure preferably includes a retaining panel having a panel periphery and at least one item holding structure configured to retain at least one item; and a mounting frame in the form of a loop fastened along the panel periphery and including frame key bolt ports corresponding in spacing from each other to the longitudinal spacing of the rail key bolts on each mounting rail; so that the rail key bolts fit into the frame key bolt ports and engage the mounting frame. The mounting frame preferably further includes two handle portions protruding forwardly from opposing portions of the mounting frame.
Each key bolt port preferably has a port wider end sized to pass one of the key bolt heads and has a port narrower end above the port wider end which is too small to pass one of the key bolt heads but large enough to pass one of the key bolt shanks, so that one of the key bolt heads can be passed through the port wider end and the mounting frame moved downward so that the key bolt shank passes into the port narrower end and the key bolt head cannot pass through the key bolt port and the key bolt head abuts and engages the mounting frame. Each item holding structure preferably includes one of: a retaining panel indentation for receiving an item, with a retaining strap extending across the indentation; multiple item engaging straps; and an item receiving pocket.
The group retaining structure carrier preferably includes a carrier frame including a tubular and substantially horizontal bottom frame member having bottom frame member ends with upwardly opening frame sockets, a tubular and substantially horizontal top frame member having top frame member ends with downwardly opening frame sockets, and two tubular and substantially vertical side frame members with side frame member upper ends fitted into respective downwardly opening frame sockets and lower ends fitted into respective upwardly opening frame sockets, the bottom frame member, the top frame member and the side frame members collectively defining a substantially planar carrier frame having a frame forward face and a frame rearward face, and carrier fasteners for fastening the frame members into the sockets, and key bolts having key bolt shanks and key bolt heads, the key bolts being extending from the frame forward face so that the key bolt heads are spaced forwardly from the frame forward face; and handle structure extending from the carrier frame; so that the group retaining structure carrier is capable of engaging and carrying one of the group retaining structures. The retaining system of claim preferably additionally includes several of the key bolts extending from the frame rearward face so that the key bolt heads are spaced rearwardly from the frame rearward face; so that the group retaining structure carrier is capable of engaging and carrying two of the group retaining structures, one of the group retaining structures being mounted to the frame member forward face and one of the group retaining structures being mounted to the frame member rearward face.
The key bolts preferably extend through registering key bolt holes in each of the sockets and in each the side frame members, so that the key bolts fasten the side frame members into the sockets. The handle structure preferably includes a handle protruding upwardly from the top frame member. The retaining system preferably additionally includes two substantially horizontal and spaced apart leg members rotatably mounted underneath the bottom frame member to rotate to a position perpendicular to the bottom frame member to support and stabilize the carrier as the carrier stands upright on the leg members, and to rotate to a position substantially parallel to the bottom frame member for carrier compactness for storage. The at least one leg member preferably additionally includes an upwardly extending engaging tab spaced from a corresponding upwardly opening socket a sufficient distance to receive an edge of a mounting frame of one of the group retaining structures, for preventing the given leg member from rotating out of its stabilizing position substantially perpendicular to the bottom frame member while a mounting frame is mounted onto a face of the carrier.